Tag: Gombe

An indigent student from Gombe State, Abba Muhammed, has taken to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to beg for financial support to enable him achieve his dream of getting college education.

The 23-year-old is seeking admission to study medical sciences at the Gombe State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Kaltungo.

Muhammed told Northern City News that he had been carrying a placard with which he had been soliciting public assistance for some time.

He has been a regular sight around the Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent by the National Pension Commission headquarters, Wuse II, Abuja for over two weeks.

The placard read, “Please, I need any work in your house in order to register for school, 08109490081.”

Muhammed, the last of his parents’ seven children, told our correspondent that he had his secondary education at the Government Day Secondary School, Pilot, Gombe State, adding that he scored 282 in the last Joint Matriculation Examination.

According to him, he is in need of N63,000 for tuition and hostel accommodation at the GSCHST.

He expressed readiness to do any legitimate work for anyone willing to hire him in order to raise the money.

According to him, neither his parents nor his six sisters, who are already married, can read or right, explaining that his desire not to end up like other members of his family was responsible for his quest for higher education.

Muhammed, who had difficulty expressing himself in English, spoke to our correspondent through an interpreter.

He said, “I have been carrying this placard in Abuja for the past two weeks. A man gave me N3,000 and asked me to get a mobile telephone to make it easy for people to contact me. I need just N63,000 for the tuition and hostel accommodation.

“I have six sisters and they are all married, but they are not educated. My father, who is an estate agent, is old and my mother does not have any job.”

The indigent student, who has been living in a shack behind the ECOWAS Commission, Asokoro, stated that he raised the transport fare to Abuja from the proceeds of his work at a barber’s shop.

“I was able to raise money for my trip to Abuja by cutting customers’ hair at a salon owned by my friend. He gave me N50 for every two clients that I attended to,” Muhammed said.

When asked for his JAMB slip, he said he left it back in Gombe.

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Gombe State Government on Thursday said a fresh outbreak of cholera had killed five people, while 16 others were hospitalised at the Primary Health Centre, Kembu in Balanga Local Government Area of the state.

The state Acting Epidemiologist, Dr Nuhu Bile, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe.

Bile said that the cholera outbreak occurred in October.

He said that the State Rapid Response team alongside World Health Organisation had visited the scene immediately it received news of the incident.

The press statement said, “Gombe Zonal Command of EFCC has arrested one Ambore Enoch, Commandant Nigerian Peace Corps, Gombe State Command for financial impropriety bordering on employment scam and extortion of money from the general public.

“The extortion was done under the pretext of offering them appointment into their organisation and provision of training kit amounted to N54million.

“The arrest was prompted following a petition written by some aggrieved members of the Corps of Gombe State Command after which the Commission did their preliminary investigation before inviting the state commandant for questioning.

“Investigation into the case by the commission revealed that the victims (mostly youths) were deceived to pay various sums ranging from N3,000 to N60,000 into the Corps’ account.

“Based on investigation, the money was paid into one of the new generation banks amounting to N54 million. This happened between December 2016 and March 2017.

“It was discovered that out of the money realised from the corps account, the Commandant withdrew the sum of N3.5m for personal use.

“He also transferred the sum of N20 million into his personal account and remitted the sum of N18.7m into Corps account at the Headquarters, Abuja,’’ he said.

Joint operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abuja Headquarters and the Federal Operations Unit, Zone D, Bauchi, raided a warehouse in Gombe state and seized drugs worth seven million Naira.

The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone D, Peters Olugboyega, disclosed this while handing over the drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, at the Zonal headquarters in Bauchi.

He informed reporters that the command seized 840 packets of Tramadol (120mg) and 4,437 packets of Diazepam valued at N7, 350, 000.

“On Thursday, 13th September, 2018, the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service Abuja Headquarters Information Patrol left Abuja and invited the Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone D, Bauchi, to a joint raid on suspected hard drugs being deposited in a store around Tudun Wada area of Gombe state.

“The joint Operatives raided the store and were able to evacuate hard drugs comprising of Tramadol 120mg and Diazepam.”

Olugboyega said that a suspect was arrested during the raid and is in custody.

According to him, the drugs are psychoactive, psycho-pharmaceutical drugs that can affect brain function.

He said that the Diazepam is a medicine of Benzodiazepine family that typically produces a calming effect adding that the tramadol is an opioid pain medication used to treat and relieve severe pain.

“These are controlled drugs, you can imagine the havoc they may cause if drugs of such magnitude find their way into our society.

“Today, the Federal Government is worried about the damaging effects these hard drugs are causing in our society.

“Therefore, the task to salvage the youths and even some adults of this country from the menace of drug peddlers is a collective one and non-negotiable,” he stated.

The Custom Boss said that the drugs are classified under Common External Tariff, Heading 3004 at 0% Duty and no VAT, but must have a permit before importation under the NAFDAC Narcotic Control.

He further said that the action of the operatives was in line with the provisions of Section 8 of Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 laws of the Constitution which empowers them to have powers of police officers, search premises and patrol freely.

Olugboyega warned smugglers to desist from their nefarious acts because failure to do so, “we will arrest them no matter where they are hiding and send them to the court of competent jurisdiction” where they will face the full wrath of the law.

In a brief remark after taking custody of the items, the Exhibit Officer of the NDLEA who represented the State Commander, Nasiru Babura, said that the agency will carry out a thorough investigation before taking the suspect to court.

He said the NDLEA is worried about the activities of drug peddlers and users as the 2019 general elections approach. However, he pointed out that the agency had plans to reduce the circulation of drugs at all channels.

Babura, a Superintendent of Narcotics, warned that any person caught importing, supplying, transporting or abusing drugs will be prosecuted.

He also counselled that drug traffickers should consider themselves as parents and “if they import these drugs, they don’t know where these drugs go to, it might end up destroying close members of their family.”

At least 98 candidates are aspiring for the 24 seats of the Gombe State House of Assembly on the platform of Peoples
Democratic Party, says the Chairman screening committee of the party, Mr Regis Ukwakwe.

Ukwakwe disclosed this while briefing newsmen about the screening of aspirants in Gombe on Saturday.

He said the aim of the screening was to make sure that successful candidates seeking such elective office in the party avoid any problem at the tribunal.

Gombe State Agricultural Development Programme has advised Nigerians to demand politicians seeking their votes to prioritise food security.

Mr Maina Binus, the Programme Manager of the agency, gave the advice in Gombe on Thursday when he received members of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre campaigning for “Right to Food” in Nigeria.

“Let every politician coming to seek for your vote prioritize food security in his agenda.

“People are selling their birthright because of the little food that politicians give to them.

“If anybody comes to you campaigning without a manifesto that reflects food, do not vote for him.

“We, GADP, have taken it as a duty to always be in support for the actualization of Right to Food in the state and the country at large.

“Because of the passion we have for Agriculture, we will do the needful to ensure we push for the Right to Food Bill to scale through at all levels,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Salaudeen Hashim, the Programme Manager, CISLAC Abuja, said the delegation was in Gombe to mobilize support legislation on Right to Food in Nigeria.

“As we already know, Gombe is in the North-East close to states devastated by terrorism.

“We have discovered that one of the reasons people go into terrorism is hunger.

“It is unfortunate that governments at all levels have not taken practical steps towards ensuring the availability, accessibility and affordability of food.”

He, however, noted that the state government’s robust agricultural programmes were commendable.

“We think that we can use the goodwill of states that are currently doing well to develop positive response in other states,” he said.

Similarly, the Deputy Governor, Mr Charles Iliya, who received the team in his residence during a courtesy visit, said the campaign was a welcome development.

Iliya said that Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo was giving agriculture the needed attention and priority.

He said considering the importance of the project, the governor would be fully briefed, adding that the government would mobilize stakeholders to see that the bill scaled through even at the national level.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has appealed to Gombe State Government to establish drug abuse control committee comprising of NAFDAC and other relevant agencies to fight substandard drugs.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, made the appeal in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

Adeyeye said that such committee should also provide office accommodation and vehicles for NAFDAC use at each of the three senatorial districts like Kumo and Billiri for effective coverage.

She assured Nigerians that NAFDAC would continue to support to ensure that Gombe people consumed only good quality and safe drugs and other consumables.

The director-general said that the products destroyed were seized by gallant and committed NAFDAC officers during surveillance and enforcement activities at companies that engaged in sharp practice.

She said other products were voluntarily handed over to the NAFDAC by compliant companies, sister agencies and associations.

Adeyeye assured Nigerians that NAFDAC would continue to do everything possible to ensure that only safe and right quality medicines, wholesome foods and other regulated products were distributed and consumed in the country.

Mr Ahmed Haruna, an All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Gombe North Constituency in the State Assembly on Thursday announced his defection to the Peoples’ Democratic Party and resigned his post as Minority Leader.

Haruna, who announced his defection and resignation during plenary, alleged that the APC in Gombe State had made several attempts to blackmail him.

He said the attempted blackmail and suspension issued to him by the state chapter of APC, and the failure of the national leadership to respond constitutionally to his complaints were responsible for his defection to the PDP.

“The attempt by the Gombe chapter of the APC on May 30, to blackmail me, despite being a faithful member of the party, is obvious they are not following the party’s constitution.

“Also, the letter of suspension issued to me by the party without following the constitution, shows that the party has no regard for the provisions of the Nigerian and APC constitutions.

“ I wrote to the national office seeking for justice over the undemocratic suspension, but nothing was done. With all sense of respect, APC has no regards for the provision of the party.

“As a loyalist, I realised that the APC manifesto was there for campaign purposes and not for implementations; I will not allow myself to be ridiculed and rubbished, so today, I formally announce my defection from the APC to the PDP.

“Having defected to PDP, the action has changed my status from minority leader to majority member and since it’s obvious that a majority member cannot be minority leader, that position is gone,’’ he said.

The Speaker, Nasiru Nono, immediately welcomed him to the PDP and said that the House was happy to receive him.

Mr Amos Fabulous, the majority leader of the House, also congratulated Haruna for his decision to defect to the PDP.

Reacting to the development, Mrs Naomi Awak, APC Public Relations Officer in Gombe, in a telephone chat with NAN, said the party was unmoved.

She added that with or without him, APC would emerge victorious in the state during the forthcoming elections in 2019.

“APC is not moved. With or without him, we will win at both the state and national levels in 2019.

“It’s not surprising, because he has been working with the opposition to destroy the APC in Gombe.

“Having failed, he has gone back to where he belongs and the party will move forward with or without him,” she said.

Following the defection of the minority leader, NAN reports that the House now has 17 PDP and seven APC members.

Dr Mustapha Musa, Officer in charge of Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Unit, says Gombe State is at risk of an increase of undetected leprosy cases.

Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday that the alarm followed the non-replacement of some retiring technical field officers who were responsible for the detection of cases.

The expert attributed the problem to lack of support by the Netherlands Leprosy Relief Programme in the last one year.

According to him, the Netherlands Country Office situated in Jos, Plateau, had been closed down late 2016 and there is no longer support for leprosy.

Musa said that the office was supporting 13 states in the country, Gombe inclusive.

He noted that the support, which was previously given to them, was contributing to early detection and management.

“The Netherlands office was providing Prednisolone and Rifampicin tablets for the early treatment of leprosy to prevent deformity as well as technical support in terms of training staff who will go down to communities to detect cases.

“Our technical experts who are trained on early detection of leprosy are retiring and we are lacking funds to train those that will replace them.

“We are no longer receiving support from Netherlands, Government at all levels should wake up and provide funding for training and all the necessary things needed,’’ Musa said.

He said from January 2017 to date only 16 new cases were detected, adding that the number has drastically dropped because of the dwindling support.

“Decline in number of cases in Gombe state does not translate to lack of the cases completely but because of lack of support to go into the communities and detect new cases,” he said

However, he commended the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its intervention.

Leprosy is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium known as mycobacterium leprae.

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the government and people of Gombe State over the passing away of a former governor, Alhaji Abubakar Hashidu, on Friday.

Buhari’s condolence message is contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday.

The president joined family members, friends, professional and political associates of the former governor in mourning while underscoring that the country would sorely miss the wise counsels of the revered politician.

According to the president, the wealth of experience and innovative thinking that the deceased brought to the many interventions to buoy the Nigerian economy remains commendable and will always be appreciated by posterity.

President Buhari prayed that the almighty God would grant the soul of the former governor eternal rest and comfort the family he left behind.

Late Hashidu, the first civilian governor of Gombe state from May 1999 to May 2003, elected under the platform of the defunct All Peoples’ Party (APP)passed away on Friday at the age of 74.

The All Peoples’ Party later changed its name to All Nigeria Peoples Party.

Hashidu had also served variously as Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under the regime of defunct President Ibrahim Babangida.